


Gakuen no Tensai

by Tshilaba



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Family Drama, Family Issues, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-02-12 21:30:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2125335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tshilaba/pseuds/Tshilaba





	1. First Days, First Impressions and First Failures

Medusa stifled a yawn as she stretched her muscles out as much as she could; she always slept curled in on herself. It was a habit she'd developed in her toddler years and never outgrown.

 

“Medusa, you better be getting ready!” her older sister, Arachne, yelled. “I'm not driving you to school; and you know what Daddy said he'd do if you were late on your first day.”

 

The blonde rolled her eyes.

 

Arachne had never driven her to school; or even walked her to school when she was younger. She'd always walked with her friends. But this year was different. Halfway through the previous school year, her teachers had met with her parents and together they'd decided that she would profit best academically from being accelerated three grades ahead. So, instead of starting junior high with Marie and Azusa, she, and her best friend Stein, would be starting senior high with Spirit, Sid, and Naigus.

 

 _A new grade and new classmates_ , she thought as she climbed out of bed. _I'm both excited and nervous, really_. She pulled on her clothes, a pair of charcoal leggings and her favorite sleeveless jacket, before brushing her hair. Her bag had been packed the night before. She straightened out her bed and pulled her All-Stars out of her closet, pulling them on.

 

Walking to the bathroom, she washed her hands and brushed her teeth quickly. She wanted to at least meet up with Marie and Azusa before the junior high's classes started. “I'll just eat at school,” she mumbled to herself, striding back into her room and slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder and flicking off the light and shutting her bedroom door and leaving the house.

 

“LIA!”

 

She squeaked as the older blonde plowed into her, nearly knocking her over as she hit the sidewalk. “Hi to you too,” she said, grinning.

 

“You're twelve, Marie. Why can't you act your age?” Azusa said, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose.

 

“What?” Marie pouted, still hanging onto her friend's shoulders. “We won't get to see Medusa during the day this year! I have to show her I love her!”

 

“I'm sure she's quite aware that you love her,” Stein chuckled as he walked up, olive eyes glinting with humor. “I mean, we have been friends since kindergarten.”

 

“And Marie's never changed,” Spirit added, tucking a strand of bright red hair behind his ear.

 

“Neither have you, you slack off,” the bespectacled raven-haired girl said.

 

“Not all of us have the IQ to skip two to three grades!” he snapped back.

 

“You're right. But you could at least focus on your school work instead of chasing after anything even remotely female.”

 

Medusa just rolled her eyes.

 

Every year it was the same thing. And every year, she wondered how she could possibly have ended up being friends with the four of them. But, with an IQ of 238, one didn't have many options for social circles; she'd learned to take what she could get. It wasn't that they were bad, or even particularly annoying, really. Just that days like this, with the five of them walking to school down the same roads that they'd walked since most of them were six, made her wonder how they ever managed to get along in the first place.

 

Azusa, the studious bookworm, with her wide-rimmed glasses, ties, pleated skirts, knee socks, blazers and flats; Marie, the wannabe cheerleader, with her just-a-centimeter-under-school-approved-length-skirts, flirty tops, short jackets, and flashy pumps; Spirit, the player, with his semi-tight jeans and designer tops; Stein, the amoral scientist, like herself, with his...lack...of style of t-shirts haphazardly thrown together with jeans, jackets and All-Stars; and herself, the Gothic lunatic, with sleeveless black jackets over leggings, All-Stars, and silver bracelets around her wrists.

 

 _Lunatic_... She smiled at the word. It was what drew her and Stein together; their amorality in their search for knowledge, despite Stein's Christian family, and their general...lunacy. Marie might have been the hyperactive affectionate one that always acted as if she was on the sugar high of the century, but she and Stein had long had the reputation of being more than a little touched in the head. Neither of them cared though; it made Halloween all the more fun every year, even as they grew older.

 

“What are you smiling about, Medusa?”

 

“Nothing, Spirit,” she laughed, shoving him playfully.

 

“Whoa!” the red head cried, stumbling into a street for a moment.

 

“Don't be such a klutz, Spirit!” Marie laughed as she linked her arms through Medusa and Azusa's arms.

 

“Medusa pushed me!” he cried incredulously.

 

“How could she, when she's on the other side of Marie?” Stein chuckled, grinning then.

 

The red head rolled his eyes. “I'm so under-appreciated...”

 

“Oh, perish the thought!” Medusa giggled.

 

“You know, you've said that for years, and I still have no clue what it means...” Spirit said, causing his friends to laugh.

 

“Yo.”

 

“Hi, Sid!” Marie said, practically bouncing and dragging Medusa and Azusa, who were both slightly shorter than her, up and down with her.

 

“Hey, I didn't ask for a bouncy house!” Medusa said, untangling her arm from the older blonde's. But she was smiling; she really would miss the blonde's energy in the upcoming days. She fist bumped Sid and Naigus in greeting before pulling her iPod out of her bag and popping her earphones in.

 

“So, you looking forward to senior high, Medusa?” the raven-haired girl asked.

 

“A little,” she answered, shrugging.

 

“Only a little? You're finally getting accelerated to the grade befitting your IQ.”

 

“Yeah. But I'm kinda nervous, too,” the blonde admitted. “I mean, sure, I'll have all my classes with Stein, but...”

 

“You're used ta bein' a big fish in a lil' sea, and now you're a very tiny fish in an ocean, eh?”

 

Medusa smiled weakly. The black girl had always had an unique way of seeing straight through her.

 

“We all feel like that sometimes, Medusa,” Naigus replied. “But you have your friends, so you're never alone, no matta how small you may feel.”

 

“Yeah, I know...”

 

As they walked into the main entrance, having left Marie and Azusa at the junior high, the blonde felt her stomach growl irritably. She blushed lightly when Stein and Spirit looked at her.

 

“I...didn't really have time to eat this morning,” she mumbled sheepishly.

 

The grey-haired boy grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the cafeteria.

 

“I'll be fine until lunch!” she protested.

 

“No, you won't. I know you, Medusa. The last time your stomach was growling this early in the morning and you insisted you'd be fine until lunch, you passed out before second period.”

 

Medusa felt her cheeks heat up even more. She'd wanted to forget that day; it had been the most embarrassing day of grade school, surpassing even the day that Shaula, five years old at the time, had tried to tell her literature teacher, in vast detail, why her book report hadn't been turned in on time and had to be re-written. Before the day she'd passed out in class, she'd thought nothing could be more embarrassing than having her five-year old sister tell her teacher that her book report couldn't be turned in because, three days before it had been due, she'd gotten the flu and thrown up on it.

 

“Fine...” She let her best friend “drag” her into the cafeteria line as she dug through her bag with her free hand. “Um...Stein, stop.”

 

“I told you; you're eating,” he insisted, picking up two slices of the breakfast pizza, two cartons of chocolate milk and two prepackaged bowls of cereal.

 

“...But I don't have any money.”

 

Stein simply shook his head. “How many times do I have to remind you that I'll pay? Haven't we done that since kindergarten?”

 

 _That doesn't mean it still doesn't embarrass me_ , she thought, looking away. _Usually, that's something guys do for their girlfriends..._

 

He paid for the food and walked to a table nearby the register and sat down, grabbing her wrist and pulling her down into the chair next to him, before pushing one of the plates in front of her. “Eat,” he said, firmly.

 

“'Kay...” She poked at the pizza with the plastic fork, moving the tiny squarish ball of sausage slowly out of its indention in the cheese.

 

“Medusa...”

 

“Sorry, sorry,” she said, setting the fork down on the side of the plate, opening the cereal and the carton of milk before pouring about half of it into the cereal. When she'd finished with the cereal, she picked up the slice of pizza and polished it off in about ten bites, and then drank the remaining milk. She wiped her mouth gently with the paper napkin and fidgeted slightly when she felt him watching her. “What?” she practically whined.

 

He simply laughed and shook his head. “Somehow, you make scarfing food down like you're starving look classy and polite. I've yet to figure out how.”

 

She punched him in the arm. “Not funny...”

 

“Better than people thinking you're not a girl, isn't it?”

 

She frowned. “What are you talking about?”

 

“So you haven't noticed. Huh.”

 

“Noticed what?”

 

“The way those kids are looking at you. They're probably thinking you're some sort of girly boy, or something.”

 

Her eyes narrowed. “I am in no way a “girly boy”, as you know full well.”

 

“I can't prove that without knowing what's between your legs,” he said flatly, focused on his food.

 

Medusa felt her cheeks heat up again. He was right, though; even if they'd grown up together, she'd always acted like she was one of the boys, perhaps in protest of her older sister's choice of style and attitude. “But I'm a girl...”

 

“I never said I didn't believe you; I simply said I couldn't _prove_ it.”

 

Five minutes later, after they'd thrown away their trash, they walked to the office to make sure their schedules hadn't been changed since the open house.

 

“Nope, boys,” the secretary said, flipping through her papers. “No schedules have been changed since the open house.”

 

Medusa twitched slightly. _I know I have short hair, but seriously?_

 

Stein thanked the secretary before pushing the blonde out of the office. “Just ignore them, Medusa. She wasn't really paying attention anyway.”

 

She scoffed. “Whatever...”

 

“What's Medusa look so pissed for?”

 

“Everyone seems to think she's a boy or something,” Stein answered the red head.

 

“Uh-huh... I could fix that.”

 

“How would you fix it?” Medusa snapped irritably.

 

“Someone's bitchy today~” Spirit laughed. “Wouldn't be on our period, would we?”

 

“Spirit, cool it,” Stein sighed, shaking his head.

 

“Okay, okay. But seriously. I can fix everyone's confusion about your gender, Medusa, dear,” he continued, hanging an arm around the blonde's shoulders.

 

“One, get your arm from around my shoulders before I break it...”

 

The red head gulped and retracted his arm quickly; Medusa had been known to have a violent temper and nearly always carried out her threats. She'd “greeted” Marie in kindergarten by biting her arm when the older blonde had tried to hug her and accidentally broken one of Sid's ribs during a football game in the park. She had more than enough vicious strength in her small body to break his arm in about six places; he knew that full well.

 

“Second, how in the _hell_ do you plan on fixing everyone's confusion about my gender? For all _you_ know, I have a penis in between my legs and I'm a homosexual boy. But I guess that wouldn't bother you, since you were crushing on Stein when we were younger and constantly trying to get in bed with him.”

 

“Okay, I do have _some_ decency...”

 

“Only because Stein's parents are Christians,” she shot back.

 

Naigus laughed. “She does make a good point there, y'know.”

 

“Whose side are you on?”

 

“I'm not on any side,” the black girl said. “Sid, we should get to class.”

 

“Right. Try not to kill Spirit, Medusa. I don't think we'd have enough money to bail you out of jail.”

 

“You wouldn't have to, if they count it as a crime of passion or temporary insanity,” the blonde answered, smirking dangerously. “And guess what, Spirit. Stein and I still have first period with you.”

 

“Shit...”

 

“But, pray tell,” she urged. “How would you correct this confusion?”

 

“Well, I...you just leave that to me!”

 

“I know I'm going to regret this...”

 

~--~

 

Medusa sighed softly as she slipped her earphones in, flicking through the songs on her iPod Touch boredly. There were twenty minutes left in the school day, and she was honestly ready to go home.

 

In all of her class periods, she was allowed to sit near Stein. But in her music appreciation class, the last class of the day, the teacher insisted on alphabetical seating. Which put Medusa in with the G's, and Stein all the way across the room with the S's.

 

She settled on the original Lavender Town theme and leaned her left elbow on her desk, leaning her cheek against her palm and closing her eyes. She loved music, but she had a feeling this class would be rather boring. Most of her classmates wouldn't know real music if it danced in front of them naked.

 

“Hey, you see that blond over there?”

 

She cracked an eye open partway. She was one of the few blonds in the class.

 

“The one with the iPod Touch?”

 

The blonde frowned. _They're talking about me..._

 

“Yeah. I heard that's a hermaphrodite.”

 

“Nah, dude, that's a cuntboy!”

 

“What the hell's a cuntboy?”

 

“Y'know! A dude with a vag!”

 

“Then why did the teach say their name was Medusa, isn't that a girl's name?”

 

“Cuntboys look like girls til puberty, dude. Maybe his parents thought he was a chick.”

 

“Dude, that's sick...”

 

Medusa twitched angrily. _That's it. I'm killing Spirit the next time I see him. “Trust me! I'll fix it!” Yeah, and Albert Einstein could speak fluently by the age of one..._

 

Stein sighed softly. _I knew Spirit was going to fuck things up more if he got involved. But no. He just had to solve this himself. Medusa's going to kill him when she finds him..._

 

The blonde tapped her fingers against the desk. _I guess Lavender Town Syndrome really does exist_ , she chuckled to herself. She watched the clock tick away the last few minutes of the day until the bell rang and then she swung the strap of her bag over her shoulder and walked out of class.

 

“Damn you move fast,” Stein said, sprinting to catch up with her and grabbing the strap of her bag.

 

“I always move fast when I have a score to settle,” Medusa said evenly.

 

“I've known this since your seventh birthday, Medusa. But remember--”

 

“I know, I know. I can't hurt him while he's on school property.”

 

The grey-haired teen shook his head. This would prove amusing.

 

“Spirit Albarn.”

 

“Fuck my life...” the red head groaned, turning around. “Look, I--”

 

Medusa grabbed his shirt and hauled him down to her eye level. “I told you not to mess with the issue, didn't I?”

 

“Yes, but I just--”

 

“You wanted to help? Spirit, the school body now can't decide if I'm a hermaphrodite or freaking cuntboy!” she snapped angrily.

 

“Well, you see...I told them that you had a vagina...I thought it would help...”

 

“HOW WOULD YOU EVEN KNOW THAT?”

 

He cringed. “We all believe you're a girl...y'just...don't...”

 

“Don't what?”

 

“Medusa, sweetie, you don't look like a girl,” Marie said, trying to worm her way in between her friends so that she could separate them. “Stein...” she said in exasperation.

 

Stein sighed and reached under Medusa's arms, pulling her up effortlessly.

 

“Now,” the older blonde sighed, grabbing her friend's arms gently and pulling them down to her side. “In all honesty, you do look like a boy. But we've always believed you when you say you're a girl. And Azusa and I _know_ it, of course. But you're still young; you're not even twelve yet, darling. So it's not really that bad if people think you're a boy while you're still flat-chested.”

 

The younger blonde frowned; her flat-chest was a sore spot for her, as even Azusa had a little development and she was two years younger than her.

 

“Sorry,” Marie said. “But it is true.”

 

“I know,” Medusa sighed. “But if Spirit had just left this alone, it would have blown over on its own. That's why I'm gonna kill him!”

 

“Hey! I was trying to help!”  


“I'm going to kill you before your fifteenth birthday. Remember that, Spirit. I know where you sleep.”

 

The red head pouted. “You're all so mean; letting her do that to me.”

 

“Well, you did screw up her first day of high school, Spirit...” Azusa said, pushing her glasses up.

 

The younger blonde took a shaky breath. “Put me down, Stein. He can live, for now.”

 

He set her down gently, smirking slightly as he watched his friend jump as Medusa pretended to lunge for him.

 

The blonde scientist grinned as she straightened up and crossed her arms over her chest. “Scared of a girl, Spirit?” she taunted.

 

“Not just a _girl_. I'm scared of _you_ , dammit!” he cried. “I'm going home!”

 

Medusa watched as the red head ran off.

 

“So, how are you gonna handle this?” Marie asked, putting an arm around her friend's shoulders.

 

“Any student that calls me a cuntboy or a hermaphrodite gets punched in the face.”

 

“Is that really smart?” the older blonde asked. “I mean, it could just make them really think you're a boy. And give you a reputation of being violent.”

 

“I _am_ violent, sweetheart,” the black clad blonde said, smiling dangerously.

 

“Yeah, accidental violence, mostly; not intentional.”

 

“Biting you really was intentional, love.”

 

“We know that, but the school system filed it as accidental. Just like when you broke Sid's ribs during a football game. But knocking people's teeth out for calling you a boy can't be considered an accident.”

 

The shorter blonde slipped out from under her friend's arm. “I was kidding,” she said, walking off.

 

 _She wasn't_ , Stein thought, watching her. He knew from the direction she was walking that she was heading home, not to the public library where they normally hung out after school. But given her current mood, that was probably best. _I'll text her later_.

 

~--~

 

Medusa dropped her bag into her desk chair before she crawled onto her bed, curling up in a ball. She might not have felt so horrible about being called a boy if that day hadn't been one of the very few days she actually felt like her physical gender. _I hate my gender fluidity_...

 

It was something she'd kept from her friends, even Stein and Marie. She just had never known how to explain it to them; and she hated fumbling for words.

 

She sighed and pulled her iPhone out, turning it on vibrate and putting it on the mattress near her shoulder; then she pulled her iPod out, popping the earphones in and flicking to her Evanescence playlist and closing her eyes, trying her best to forget about the boys' conversation in her last class.

 

She'd almost drifted to sleep when she felt her phone vibrate against her shoulder. Cracking open an eye, she realized it was a text from Stein. She closed her eyes again, only to feel her phone vibrate once more. She sighed and picked up her phone.

 

 ** _Hey_**.

 

 ** _What_** she texted in response before putting her phone back down.

 

**_Are you okay?_ **

****

**_Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, really._ **

****

**_Is it okay if I come over?_ **

****

**_If you feel like putting up with Arachne and Shaula, feel free. I'm not going to stop you._ **

 

When her phone didn't vibrate again, she closed her eyes. Taking Over Me started playing and she smiled halfheartedly. _How fitting_...

 

She felt a weight depress the mattress behind her, but didn't open her eyes. She knew it was Stein, after all. He and Marie were the only ones crazy enough to get within a foot of her. He set his hand on her waist gently.

 

“Medusa, I know you can hear me. So maybe now you'll answer me. Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah...”

 

“Don't lie to me,” he returned, poking her gently.

 

She squirmed under his touch and glanced at him. “Well, there is...something...” she said, looking away.

 

“You can tell me.”

 

“Well...it's just...” She sighed softly. “Stein, do you believe in gender fluidity?”

 

“Where an individual feels like a boy some days and girl others regardless of their physical, or in some cases genetic, gender?”

 

“Yeah, that...”

 

“I suppose it's possible. I mean, there are girls that feel as if they're boys trapped in a female body and vice-versa. I don't see why gender fluidity isn't possible. Why?”

 

“...I'm gender fluid... And...the reason today bugged me so much is...well, because it's one of the few days I actually feel like a girl. Most of the time I feel like a boy...”

 

“I see. Why didn't you tell me? Or Marie, at least.”

 

She shrugged. “I didn't know how...”

 

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up gently, before cupping her face in his hands. “Medusa, you know you can tell me anything, right? Haven't you always said I'm you're best friend?”

 

“You _are_ my best friend...” _And maybe I want a little more than that..._

 

“And you're my best friend, Medusa. So just tell me next time, alright? Even if you fumble your words.” He flicked her nose playfully causing her to giggle before she wrapped her arms around his neck. He squeezed her waist gently.

 

“Thanks, Stein.” She pulled back a little. “But I thought Spirit was your best friend?”

 

He shrugged. “Spirit is, for me, what Marie is for you,” he answered.

 

“Nice to be around, just doesn't get you sometimes?” she asked, grinning.

 

“Exactly.”

 

Medusa laughed. She'd felt that way ever since kindergarten; six years. And the feeling of being drawn to him had only grown the older she'd gotten. _I'm happy just being best friends, though. It's not like I want kids, or want to put up with the drama Arachne has to deal with. Plus, I'm “not allowed” to date until I'm sixteen._

 

“Something's still bothering you...”

 

She shrugged. “Not really.”

 

Olive eyes rolled. He knew she was lying, both to him and to herself. “Let's watch Courage the Cowardly Dog then,” he offered.

 

She smiled and nodded.

 

Stein and Marie were the same; they knew her dirty little secret was her love for the Courage the Cowardly Dog series. Whenever she was feeling upset about something but didn't feel like talking, they'd always offer to watch the show with her. In hindsight, she reasoned, it was probably why she was so close to them.

 

He took her iPod Touch, and pulled up “The Great Fusilli” episode, knowing it was one of her favorites, and leaned back against her headboard, pulling her against his side.

 

Medusa sighed and laid her head against his shoulder. She knew her family would throw a fit if they saw her curled up against a boy, but at that particular moment, she truly didn't care. If anything, she could scoot away the instant she heard footsteps.

 

“Hey! Leave her alone!” Courage cried.

 

Fusilli looked up from the marionette strings. “Aah! Is a phantom!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Is a phantom! Don't come near--”

 

Her bedroom door was shoved open, and Arachne stuck her head in. “Are you—dammit.”

 

“What?” the blonde said; irritated that she'd barely had time to move away from Stein's side to avoid getting caught.

 

“Mama wanted to know if you were eating, but Stein's here.”

 

“I could go home...”

 

“No, no.”

 

“Well, then?”

 

“Are you gonna eat?”

 

Stein rolled his eyes so that only Medusa could see him and she had to resist giggling. “Yes, we're going to eat, Arachne.”

 

“Kay.” She slammed the door shut.

 

“Shame,” Stein said. “She interrupted your reenactment; I love your Fusilli voice.”

 

The blonde laughed. “He's an Italian crocodilian. It's not hard to do his voice.”

 

“But you do it so well,” he said, poking her stomach gently.

 

Medusa grinned before curling back up against his side. “Well, if you want to hear it again, you can always restart the episode.”

 

“That I could.”

 

~--~

 

She hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep until she felt Stein shaking her gently. “Hm? Whaisit?” she mumbled.

 

“Your mom just called for dinner; I'd say we have about two minutes to get downstairs before Arachne or Shaula come barreling through your door. And while I don't mind having you curled up against me, I don't think they would approve.”

 

“Yeah...yeah...” She sighed. If it weren't a school night, she'd likely have just gone to his house instead of putting up with all the garbage of her own.

 

“Friday, yeah?” he said, knowing what she was thinking.

 

She nodded. “47 seconds left,” she said, pushing him towards the door.

 

“It's sad that we have it memorized down to seconds...”

 

She trudged down the stairs, grateful for Stein's grip on the back of her jacket to keep her from tipping forward; she shook her head, finally clearing the sleep from it before she walked into the dining room.

 

“Nice to see you finally made it.”

 

“Yeah...” She'd learned to tune out most of her mother and sisters' biting sarcasm over the years. As long as she could pretend she was listening, they didn't harass her as much.

 

A plate with a pork chop, peas, and mashed potatoes and gravy was set in front of her. She refrained from grimacing. She hated most meats; her mother's cooking left much to be desired. But, in a household like that, one learned to take what was given without complaint. Blocking out Shaula's annoying voice as she proceeded to tell their mother all about her first day in the fourth grade, the blonde poked the meat with her fork tentatively. At the very least, it wasn't tough this time around, though the gravy seemed to have suffered instead; and the peas looked as if they were flash frozen and then microwaved. _That's probably exactly what she did_ , Medusa thought irritably.

 

Stein was politely eating what he'd been given, but that was only because he had too much respect for his friend to upset her mother about the obviously horrid cooking.

 

After she'd finished, Medusa stood up, taking hers and Stein's plates and putting them in the sink, before turning to leave the room.

 

“Oh, girls. Remember, lights out at 10:30. It's a school night.”

 

“Yes, Mama,” Shaula and Arachne said.

 

“Yes, ma'am,” the blonde replied, leaving the room with her friend behind her.

 

“So...do you want me to leave now, or...” Stein trailed off as they walked up the stairs.

 

“Well...actually...” Medusa bit her lip as she turned to look at him. “Do you think you could stay until I fall asleep?”

 

The grey-haired boy shrugged. “It's only 8:45 now,” he answered. But they both knew that she normally fell asleep before ten unless she had copious amounts of homework to finish. “My parents won't mind.”

 

The blonde nodded before continuing up the stairs and into her room; she sat down on her bed with a soft sigh.

 

“What's wrong?” Stein asked, sitting down beside her.

 

Medusa shrugged before setting her head on his shoulder. “I'm not really sure. I just...”

 

 _You just wish it wasn't a school night so you didn't have to be alone_. He didn't have to say it aloud; her actions spoke volumes after being around her for six years. He put his arm around her, squeezing gently, and felt her press a little closer to him. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better, nor anything he could do, except to stay until she'd fallen asleep. With any luck, she would sleep through the night. He still remembered the few times she'd woken up after he'd left and called him in tears just so she could hear his voice. _She may have been younger then, but that doesn't change anything. Medusa hates being alone, but this house only makes it worse; even when she's not physically alone, she is emotionally._

 

The blonde sighed quietly before pulling away and standing up. “I'm going to take a shower,” she explained, walking over to her dresser and opening one of the drawers.

 

“Alright,” Stein answered, pulling his legs up to sit cross-legged on her comforter, watching as she gathered her things and left for the bathroom. He heard the water cut on and leaned back against her pillow, putting his arms behind his head. _What to do for twenty minutes?_

 

Medusa had to stifle a yawn as she undressed and got into the shower. _It may not be all that late_ , she thought as she washed her hair and body, _but it's very draining to deal with all the idiots of the world. Sometimes, I think it'd be easier to just get away from everyone and live by myself. But that would probably make me lonelier than I already am..._ She rinsed the soap off and cut the water off, stepping out onto the bath mat. It was only after she'd dried off that she realized all she had brought was her slippers, t-shirt and pajama pants. “Crap...”

 

“Something wrong?” Stein called.

 

“Well...yeah...” She wrapped the towel securely around herself and frowned. _What to do? I could ask Stein to bring my underwear, or go in there and get them and bring them back in here, or ask him to walk out onto the landing so I could get them and come back..._ She sighed softly. “Stein, could you reach in my top drawer and bring me a pair of underwear, please?”

 

“No problem.” He stuck his head inside the bathroom a few moments later, handing her the article of clothing before shutting the door again.

 

After dressing quickly, Medusa walked into her bedroom, rubbing her hair with the towel. “Sorry about that,” she mumbled, avoiding looking at him.

 

He shrugged. “You've slept over at my house for over five years and even slept in the same bed as me.”

 

“Yeah, but...my underclothes...”

 

“Best friends, remember? Honestly, Medusa, I think it embarrassed you more than it did me. Now,” he said, patting the bed beside him, “sit down and I'll brush your hair out, okay?”

 

 _Just like always,_ the blonde thought, smiling slightly as she sat down, letting her friend brush the knots out of her hair.

 

After he was done, Stein wrapped is arms around her gently and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Feel better now that you're all squeaky clean?” he teased softly.

 

“I'm not squeaky clean,” she giggled. “Just clean with damp hair.”

 

“I suppose so. But you smell nice. You changed your shampoo and conditioner.”

 

She blushed. Even if she was only eleven, to have someone comment on that was both embarrassing and nice. “Y-yeah,” she stammered slightly.

 

The grey-haired boy kissed her cheek gently before pulling away. It was something they always did, but only when they were alone or with their friends; it was something that became as much a part of their friendship as her hidden love for the Courage the Cowardly Dog cartoon. “Now, I know you're tired; you can't hide that from me,” he said. “So get under the covers and relax. I'll be right here. I promise.”

 

She nodded, crawling under the covers and snuggling against him as he lay down next to her. She giggled as he nuzzled her neck softly. “Stein...”

 

“Hm?” He feigned innocence. “What's so funny?”

 

“Nothing,” she mumbled, burying her face against his chest and smiling. “Just tired.”

 

“I don't doubt it,” he answered gently, stroking her hair. “Anything I can do to help you fall asleep just a little faster?”

 

“Mm-mm. I'll--” she yawned and snuggled a little closer, “fall asleep soon enough. Promise.”

 

“Alright,” he whispered, continuing to stroke her hair gently as he listened to her breathing deepen slightly as her body began to relax and drift closer to sleep. He waited until he was positive she was sound asleep, her breathing deep and even, before pulling away slowly, careful not to disturb her. He picked up her Fusilli plushie off of the chair and put it in her arms, smiling as she pulled it tight against her chest and burying her nose into it. He then leaned over and kissed her cheek gently. “Sleep well, Medusa,” he said softly before quietly leaving the room.

 

Shaula ran into him on the stairs. “Why do you always leave before ten?” she asked loudly. “With how madly in love you two are, I'd expect you to stay until 10:29 and even then try your best to try and stay later.”

 

Stein snorted. “You're vastly misinformed,” he said. Before she could irritate him further, he continued. “We're not madly in love and we're not dating. Besides that, your sister was exhausted after school and she's already asleep.”

 

“Bet you cuddled with her when she fell asleep!” the nine year old called after him as he strode past, rolling his eyes.

 

He heaved a sigh as he hit the sidewalk. How Medusa hadn't snapped was a miracle. He answered his phone as it vibrated. “Hello?”

 

“Oh, Franken, I'm glad I caught you.”

 

“Sorry, Mom. I was helping Medusa get to sleep; I just left now..”

 

“Ah, so you'll be home soon. That's good to know.”

 

Stein smiled. His family treated Medusa like one of their own; even if he was past his curfew, they were never upset so long as it was to do something for his best friend.

 

“Oh, before I forget, you should call Marie,” his mother continued. “She called earlier. She said she was wondering if Medusa was alright, because neither of you would answer your phones.”

 

 _Typical Marie_. “Alright, I'll call her as soon as I can.”

 

“Good, good. I'll see you when you get home. I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Mom,” he said just before he heard the line click. He dialed Marie's number and waited for her to pick up.

 

“Finally!” she said indignantly.

 

“Good to know your worry wart nature hasn't kept you up late,” he said.

 

“I was _worried_. My friends, my _best_ friends, just disappear right after school and I'm just not supposed to be worried? Seriously?”

He sighed heavily. “I'm sorry.”

 

“You were more worried about making sure she was alright.” Her voice was calmer, less angry, with just a tinge of sadness. “It's alright. She's okay now, right?”

 

“I didn't leave until she was sound asleep.”

 

“And you put the plushie in her arms?”

 

“Why would I forget something that important?”

 

“Just making sure. I forgot once and I barely left the room before she woke up in tears.”

 

“Placebo effect,” he said absently, though they both knew it. “Holding it gives her the feeling that whoever she fell asleep with is still there, still within reach, and she's not alone.”

 

“Yeah. Sometimes she still wakes up though. But we can hope she sleeps through the night. Stein...” she paused a moment, as if she were trying to find the right words. “Why was she so bothered about the gender thing today?”

 

“You should ask her, Marie. You know how she is.”

 

“I know, I know. But I can't ask her if she's asleep.” She sighed heavily. “Ah well. No use stressing over things I can't solve. I swear she can sense that...”

 

He laughed. Sometimes he'd wondered the same thing. Medusa seemed to have a sort of sixth sense where she could pick up what others were feeling. Perhaps that was why she felt so alone a lot of the time; she had a sort of hypersensitivity to how others reacted to her existence.

 

“But, anyway. It's late, and you're probably home by now, right?”

 

He couldn't help but shake his head in amusement at how accurate the blonde's guesses were. Her navigation skills might have been total crap, but she could accurately guess how long it took someone to get from one point to another. “Yeah, I just got to the door,” he said as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind himself.

 

“Sweetie? Is that you?”

 

“Yeah, Mom, it's me,” he called back.

 

“Oh good. If you've eaten, you should shower and get to bed soon. It's a school night, remember.”

 

“Right.”

 

“Well, I should go,” Marie said. “My mom's yelling about bed times. Sixth grade really sucks.”

 

“You say that every year, Marie.”

 

“And every year it's true! Anyway, sleep well, Stein. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Good night~”

 

“Good night, Marie.” He hung up the phone, pocketing it before walking upstairs to get ready to call it a night.


	2. And So It Goes On

Marie stifled a small yawn as she waited for Stein to finish saying good bye to his mom. Just four hours ago, both she and Medusa had been up on the phone with each other. The younger blonde had woken up and instinctively dialed her friend's number. _Wake up calls that I do not like..._ the blonde thought with a soft sigh. She loved the girl to death, but her issues with loneliness were oftentimes more trouble than they seemed worth.

“It happened again, didn't it?” Stein's voice broke through her thoughts.

She nodded. “We really have to do something, Stein. Or one of us is going to snap.”

As they came to Medusa's house, they didn't notice her waiting for them. Marie glanced up the walk to see her friend sitting on the steps of the porch, her knees pulled up against her chest. “Medusa?”

The younger blonde mumbled something that could have been taken as a morning greeting in a different situation.

Stein sighed before grabbing her wrists gently and hauling her to her feet. “What's wrong? Didn't sleep well?” he asked as they began walking.

Medusa shook her head slightly. “And I kept Marie up...”

“Don't worry about it,” Marie said quickly. “You didn't keep me up. Promise.”

“Marie, you sounded like you thought I was in the hospital or something.”

“She does that any time her phone wakes her up,” Azusa replied, falling into step with them. “Even if the phone goes off when normal people are awake.”

“See?” the older blonde insisted.

Medusa rolled her eyes and shook her head. It wasn't worth the effort. “So, how was junior high yesterday?” She hadn't had the chance to ask before, given the circumstances.

“It was okay. Kind of boring without you there.”

The bespectacled girl snorted. “You're only saying that because you hate not having her around to mooch answers off of.”

“I do not!”

Stein laughed. “That only happened once, if I remember. And it was only because Marie was being lazy.”

“I had a lot going on that week!” the older blonde pouted. “And it didn't blow up in my face until Medusa gave me the wrong answers.”

“What?” The younger blonde laughed innocently. “I had to see you crash and burn, otherwise you would have never learned.”

“Seriously though, Marie,” Azusa said, adjusting her glasses. “How did you not realize that she was lying to you? She told you that A Midsummer Night's Dream was about a dragon that had a dream in the middle of the summer.”

Marie spluttered. “Well, it sounded like it made sense! And Shakespeare wrote about fairies and satyrs.”

“Puck was a faun, darling,” Medusa said, poking her friend's side playfully.

“Same difference!”

“Actually, the creature itself is the same. The difference is the language. Satyr is the Greek term, faun is the Latin term,” the younger blonde said, grinning.

“That's the same thing!”

“A Midsummer Night's Dream was written in English, which is derived mostly from Latin, not Greek, Marie,” Stein said, chuckling. “Therefore, Medusa's technically right.”

“Oh... Whatever! I'm not a language whiz like you two!”

Medusa chuckled. “I only know Greek and Italian alongside my native tongue, Stein only knows German. We don't know _that_ much.”

“Yeah, but you two aren't even twelve yet,” Spirit interjected as he fell into step with them as well. “I'm three years older than you and I haven't even mastered Spanish yet.”

“Spirit, you haven't mastered _English_ yet,” Azusa said bluntly.

The red head spluttered angrily. “I have so!”

“Oh really, Spirit?” Medusa asked, smiling. “What is the definition of 'vexation'?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know that?”

“Vexation: Noun; the act of vexing; state of being vexed; annoyance; worry,” the blonde returned evenly.

“Yeah, _you_ know it,” Spirit grumbled.

“And you're beginning to vex me.”

“Medusa, you're in a constant state of vexation,” the red head returned, laughing.

“And you're part of it,” she snapped in response.

“Only part?”

“Spirit...”

Stein and Marie sighed in near unison before stepping in between their friends to keep a fight from breaking out between the two.

Medusa simply snorted derisively before pulling her iPod out and pushing the earphones into her ears.

~--~

By the time Friday rolled around, all of them were thoroughly exhausted. As they sat on the low wall outside of the library, Medusa leaned her head onto Stein's shoulder, trying not to fall asleep.

“Hey, I've got an idea,” Spirit said suddenly, causing the blonde to jump.

“Dammit, Spirit,” Medusa said. “Don't be so loud...”

“I wasn't being loud. I just said I have an idea.”

Marie shook her head tiredly. “What's your idea, Spirit?”

“We should have a party this weekend. Everyone can stay at my house tonight. We can relax and forget about school for a while.”

Medusa yelped and slid off the wall as Marie smacked her hip. “What was that for?” she snapped, her exhaustion making her irritable.

The older blonde nodded down the street towards the corner where Arachne was making her way towards the library. “That's what that was for.”

The younger blonde straightened her jacket out, frowning darkly. “Didn't mean you had to smack my hip,” she grumbled. “That's bone, you know.”

“What are you whining about now, dear sister?” Arachne asked as she walked up.

“Nothing,” Medusa replied, not meeting her eyes for a moment. Then she looked up and said, “Arachne, are we doing anything tomorrow?”

“Nothing that I know of,” the raven replied. “Why?”

“Spirit was wanting to have a party.”

The older girl's eyebrow quirked in curiosity. “Uh-huh... What kind of a party?”

Spirit squirmed as he felt his friend's sister staring him down. “Just, y'know, a party. Just a group of friends hanging out. Maybe some sodas, pizzas, a movie...”

Arachne laughed. “Well, I have a date tomorrow, so I don't really give a fuck what you do, baby sister~ You'd be stuck alone with Shaula anyway.”

The blonde shuddered visibly. If there was someone she hated more than her parents, it was her youngest sister. “Then I'll be at Spirit's.”

“Fair enough. Oh, can you pick up Shaula from the elementary school? Mama and Daddy are working late tonight, and I have a paper to work on.”

Medusa frowned. “How late? I have to do my homework before I go to Spirit's.”

Arachne shrugged before patting her sister on the head. “I'm not sure, it shouldn't be too long. But I heard she's super hyper today.” She walked off, laughing.

Stein grabbed her wrist gently, pulling his friend against him. “Calm down, Medusa,” he said quietly.

“Calm down? Calm _down_?! I am not in the mood to deal with that brat today! I babysat her for 6 hours last night!” Medusa snapped, pulling away from him and snatching up her bag, flinging it over her shoulder and stalking off in the direction of the elementary school.

“She's muttering in Greek,” Marie sighed. “Stein, go with her. Please?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

~--~

Medusa sighed in exasperation. “Shaula, you have to do your homework.”

“Don't wanna.”

The blonde twitched slightly, fighting the urge to slap her little sister's mouth. “Look, Mom and Dad said that your homework had to be done before they got home--”

“Yeah, but you're gonna be the one in trouble if it's not,” the brunette sang as she continued playing with her iPod.

Medusa growled angrily. _This is_ _exactly_ _why I hate babysitting her._ “I'll give you $10 if you do your homework.”

“$50.”

“$15.”

“$45.”

“$20. And that's my final offer.”

Shaula looked up at her thoughtfully. “You're going to Spirit's tonight. I wanna go.”

“It's not for little kids.”

“I'm only two years younger than you! Besides, Sis is going on a date. I'm gonna be lonely.”

“You don't even like my friends,” the blonde shot back.

“Spirit's hot.”

“Okay, that's just sick. My baby sister has a crush on one of my friends.”

“Oh, I forgot. You and Stein are star-crossed lovers,” the brunette said sarcastically.

Stein grabbed the back of Medusa's jacket, holding her back with a tight grip. “Shaula, your sister and I are just friends. If I give you $75 will you do your homework and leave us alone about the party?”

“Deal!”

Medusa snorted. “It better be done by the time Mom and Dad are home.”

“It will be~” her sister sang.

The blonde rolled her eyes and stalked upstairs, throwing herself face first onto her bed. She heard the door click shut a few minutes later. “You shouldn't have promised her $75.”

“Perhaps. But it got her to do her work.” He sat down on the mattress next to her. “And you should do yours before your parents get home.”

She muttered something into her pillow that sounded vaguely like “It probably won't fucking matter”, before something hit the bedroom door and she pushed herself up onto her elbows. “What?” she said irritably.

“I'm hungry! I want a snack,” Shaula said, opening the door.

“Can't you fix it yourself?” the blonde sighed, sitting up completely and running a hand through her hair. Stein had moved to sit against the wall before the door opened. “I need to do my homework.”

“You're not doing anything though,” the brunette pouted.

Medusa sighed, sensing the storm brewing. “Fine. Fine. I'm coming,” she said, getting up. “What do you want?”

“Mm...” The girl twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she danced out of the room. “I dunno!”

Medusa groaned. “Shaula, how can I make you a snack if you don't tell me what you want?”

“You'll figure it out!” her sister sang, bounding down the stairs.

She smacked her palm against her forehead. “Kill me, please.”

“Sorry, I promised Mom I wouldn't kill anything after she found me dissecting my hamster three years ago,” Stein replied without looking up from his paper.

“Right...” She sighed and got up. “I guess I'll be back whenever I finally get her fed.”

“Medusa! I'm still hungry!”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Stein replied.

Medusa snorted. “Welcome to hell.”

“Population, everyone in this house.”

“And she's the devil.”

“Sissy!”

Medusa cringed. “I'm coming!” She made her way downstairs and to the dining room, where her little sister was hanging over her chair, swinging her feet. “Have you decided what you want yet?”

“Nope!”

“Okay. How about french fries?”

“You know Mama doesn't let us have junk food.”

“Peanut butter and jelly?”

“'M not s'posed to have messy things.”

Medusa sighed. “Dolmades?”

“I don't want rice.”

“Spanakopita?”

Shaula's eyes went wide. If there was one thing she loved, it was the spinach pies her older sister could make. Medusa's spankopitas were the only ones she would ever eat. She nodded eagerly.

“All right. I'll go make that. Do your homework, okay, half pint?”

“Yessum!” the dark-haired girl said eagerly, sitting up right and pulling her notebook out her bag.

Medusa ran a hand through her hair and walked into the kitchen. Spanakopita. The things she got herself into. She probably wouldn't be done before her parents got home.

~-~

“Sissy!” Shaula called. She'd been quiet for so long, Medusa had almost forgotten she was in there. “I need help!”

Medusa sighed. “I'm kind of busy right now...”

“But--”

“Here, let me help,” Stein said. Medusa heard another chair pull out from under the table as he sat down. “It's not hard. It's just a little confusing if you don't know quite how to approach it.”

“Ohhh...”

Medusa blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. At least she was almost done with the damn pie. She pushed the dish into the oven and shut the door before walking into the dining room. She leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Stein help her little sister.

“You see, you just have to remember the order of operations,” he was saying, pointing to the paper.

“Even with fractions? That seems dumb.”

“Maybe, but it's what they grade you on.”

Medusa heard a crunch in the driveway outside and looked towards the door. “Shaula, did you know when Mom and Dad were supposed to be home?”

Her sister's brown eyes looked up from the paper in confusion. “Un-uh...” She looked confused. “I don't think it was this early though...”

“Stein, stay with Shaula, okay?” she said, walking past them and out the other doorway.

“Medusa—at least be careful.”

“Yeah, I will.” She walked into the living room and looked through the blinds. The truck in the driveway didn't look like any of their relatives.

There was a sound at the door, almost like when Arachne was drunk and fumbling her house keys.

She frowned and walked to the door, opening it. There was a rather tall man, and a boy who looked about Arachne's age standing on the porch. The man stumbled back when the door opened. “Can I help you?”

“Oh. Damn. This must be the wrong house.”

“Are you new here? My family's lived here for the past twenty years.”

“This isn't 237 Oak Drive?”

“No,” Medusa said. “This is 210. 237 is down there.” She pointed down the road to her left.

“Oh. I apologize,” the man said. “My son and I were moving in this week. I just assumed the moving company was late.”

“In this town, that's highly likely,” Medusa said, shrugging. Shaula bumped into her elbow.

“Who's that, sis?”

“I thought I told you to finish your homework.”

The boy smirked. “We should get going, Dad.”

“Right. Well, thank you for that, Miss...”

“You're welcome,” Medusa said. “I've got to get back to my cooking. Good luck moving in.” She turned and pushed her sister gently. “Go,” she hissed under her breath.

“But--”

“Do you want your pie or not?”

The girl bolted from the room and Medusa shut the door, leaning against it. Why was her heart thudding in her chest? There was something about that boy...

“Lia?”

 

“Oh god,” she gasped, startled at Stein's sudden appearance.

“You look like you've seen the Devil himself.”

“I...”

“Go get Shaula's spanakopita before it burns.”

She nodded and went to the kitchen, hurriedly pulling out the dish and setting it on the counter, fanning it with the pot holder. It wasn't too brown, at least.

Shaula popped up beside her. “Is it done yet? Huh?”

“Do you want to burn your mouth?” Medusa said flatly.

The girl pouted. “'M hungry!”

“Well, you shouldn't have waited so long to tell me what you wanted.”

She flounced out of the room. There was a loud screech as the chair slid across the floor and she flopped down into it.

Medusa sighed and ran a hand through her hair. _I can only cook so damn fast..._ She slid the pie onto a plate and pulled a fork out of the drawer. She nudged the drawer shut with her hip and walked into the dining room, setting the plate onto the table. “Here,” she said, setting the fork next to it. She watched as her sister snatched up the fork and took a bite, kicking her feet in glee. “Do you want something to drink? Milk, maybe?”

“Mm, yes, please!”

Medusa nodded and went back into the kitchen. She pulled a glass down from the cabinet and poured some milk into it. She set the glass down on the counter and put the milk away.

“Wow, you actually got her to say “please”. What witchcraft is this?” Stein chuckled.

“She loves my spanakopita,” Medusa said, shrugging before she picked up the glass. “She'll do almost anything for it.” She walked back into the dining room and set the glass in front of her sister. “I'm going to go do my homework, okay?”

“Aww, can't you keep me company?” She was pouting again.

Medusa sighed. “All right. At least let me go get my school things.”

“'Kay!”

She went upstairs and grabbed her school bag from her room. She heard Stein behind her. “Can we talk about that later? I don't want to bring it up around Shaula.”

“No problem.” Stein collected his own things. “It's not like you could expect a child like her to understand.”

She snorted. “Like she said, we're only two years older than her.”

“I know.”

She shook her head and walked back downstairs, slinging her bag onto the table across from her little sister, who had apparently moved on to some essay she had. She sat down, pulling her notebook out, leafing through the papers in the front pocket before pulling out her biology homework. She pulled her iPod out as Stein sat down next to her. This week was already turning out to be strange.


End file.
